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At the recent owners meetings in Florida, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn spoke to the media about a host of topics. Of particular interest was what he thought about the situation at the guard position. It would seem that the battle for the starting spot at right guard is anything but settled, despite previous indications.
Dan Quinn said unsigned Chris Chester an option at RG. Tom Compton will be, too, but will begin at T. AJC reported C Mike Person back to G.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 23, 2016
#Falcons wanted G J.R. Sweezy in FA before he signed with #Bucs. Still looking at Chester and Ted Larsen as possibilities.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 23, 2016
With the signing of Alex Mack to play center, it was very clear that Mike Person would no longer be playing that position in 2016 (thank god). Many fans - including yours truly - felt that Person would naturally slide over to right guard, since he did show some competence as a run blocker and was not a disaster in pass blocking. It would seem that Dan Quinn is keeping the battle "open" at this point.
Really, this isn't a shock in the least. Person is only signed thru the 2016 season and the reality is that the combination of Person/Compton/Chester (if resigned) is hardly the long-term solution anyways. The team is likely to look for a developmental player in the draft, or could possible go after a good free agent in 2017. Anyone who plays at the right guard position in 2016 is probably just a stop-gap anyways.
What are your thoughts on the potential competition at right guard?